Computer Numerical Control of Machine Tools and Processes

Professor A Roy Choudhury

Department of Mechanical Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
Lecture 03
Classification of CNC Machine Tools
Welcome viewers to the 3rd lecture of the course Computer numerical control of machine
tools and processes. So today we are going to discuss about the classification of CNC
machine tools, how are they classified okay. To start with, let us see in what is the spread of
CNC technology in a manufacturing scenario.

(Refer Slide Time: 00:50)

CNC machine tools find wide application in low-level and medium level production that
means volume, low volume and medium volume production. CNC technology supports
realization of unconventional concepts in manufacturing like Rapid prototyping. Had CNC
not been there, Rapid prototyping would not have been realized. And also the manufacturing
of complex shapes is possible by CNC; it is in these fields that CNC has found wide
applications and others as well.
(Refer Slide Time: 01:31)

The types of classification for example, CNC might be classified as per cutter movement or
cutter motion control, we can have point to point control as well as continuous control. There
can be classification as regards to open loop and closed loop control, then type of
organisation of machine operations like machine tools, machining centre, turning centre, et
cetera. And by the type and number of axis movements. So 1st of all let us take up the
discussion of point-to-point control.

(Refer Slide Time: 02:15)

What is point-to-point control, we find that whenever we are talking of machine tools, there
are some machine tools in which the operation, the required operation is only at some definite
points and the cutter simply has to reach those points and carry out the operation. The path in
between taken by the cutter between these points is not critical that means it is not very
important; it need not be along any definite particular contour. What are the examples? We
might be having this sort of control in drilling, where holes have to be drilled at specific
locations, we might be having EDM die sinking operation to be done at definite position, then
spot welding, brazing, soldering, et cetera.

In all these cases the particular operation is to be carried out at definite locations, so there are
some salient features associated with this type of control. The control system 1st of all does
not require an interpolator, the interpolator calculates and implements the definite velocity
relations between axes at a definite velocity value along the particular path, this is not
required here, and we are not controlling the velocity in between definite locations. Next, the
cutter moves from point-to-point one point to another and carries out machining or the
required operation at these very points. Between the points, there is no cutting action and at
these points there is no motion of the table, only cutter motion is there for cutting.

And the distance between these points is generally covered at the maximum possible velocity
why, to save time. We are not cutting, so there are no forces involved in cutting during the
movement from one point to another so why not employ the highest possible speed. And
things like cutter radius compensation is generally not required in these operations. So how
do point-to-point machines operate?

(Refer Slide Time: 05:04)

So this is a typical picture giving at definite locations some operations are being done. So this
is a drill like cutting tool, it is supposed to move down, carry out drilling operation, come up,
then go to the next point, it is moving straight, essentially it has to employ the highest
possible velocity and then after reaching this point it goes down, carries out the machining
operation, comes out and then reaches the 3rd point so on and so forth, this is the general
scheme of work in point-to-point machines. No control over axial speeds, axis generally
moving at highest possible speed and as we discussed no cutting action while tool is moving
from one position to another.

(Refer Slide Time: 05:58)

Compared to this, when we are talking of different types of machines, there is continuous
control machine as well, which are continuously controlled. It is if it is moving from one
point to another, it might be moving always along straight lines parallel to the axis of the
machine. So here we are dealing with movements and during movements, cutting operation is
being carried out and these movements are essentially parallel to the axis X, Y and Z axis or
simply X and Y of the machine. So if I am moving and if I am cutting while moving, we
essentially need to control this particular velocity and linear interpolation is carried out
between these points.

Linear interpolation means moving in a straight line at a controlled rate, an interpolator

finding out intermediate positions and of course velocity which is remaining constant, so this
is continuous control with straight cut. On the other hand, we can have another type of
continuous control in which both linear and circular cuts are going to be taken.
(Refer Slide Time: 07:38)

Here we have a cutter shown on the perry ferry of a part moving in such a manner that it may
cut straight portions, it may cut (())(7:45) portions which are straight but at an angle to both
the axis, we are looking along the Z axis towards the X and y plane. And it might also have
circular path I mean the path might be having circular profiles and these circular profiles will
also be cut by the same cutter, so the cutter has to have the ability to move along straight line,
to move along lines which are at an angle to both the X and Y axis and also along a circular
path.

When we have conventional automation, if such a part has to be cut, generally physical
devices will be employed in order to realize these motions of the cutter. In CNC, we will be
simply programming for these motions of the cutter all around the part. Now in continuous
control, what are the salient features then?
(Refer Slide Time: 08:52)

The path and the final destination of the tool or cutter need to be controlled, so we are having
control over the final destination which means the extent of motion. And also, we are having
to control the path of the tool, how can path of the tool be controlled? It can be controlled by
controlling the ratio of the velocities along the different axis. We also have to control the rate
of the motion of the cutter along its path that means the absolute velocity of the tool has to be
controlled as well. Examples are typical work profiles, cut on the lathe, on the milling
machine, et cetera.

And naturally, as interpolation is taking place the data processing unit has to have a device
called an interpolator, so 3 things destination, cutter velocity, components along the different
axis and the absolute value of the cutter velocity, these things need to be controlled in case of
continuous control. This figure shows a typical example of the control loop of point-to-point
control.
(Refer Slide Time: 10:21)

We had two different types of control one is point to point control and there is continuous
control, so this is an example of point-to-point control, let us have some quick look how is it
operating. 1st of all we have a pulse generator which is sending out pulses, if you remember
high-voltage, low voltage, so say 5 volts, 0 volts or 12 volts, 0 volts, something like that is
coming out and it is compatible with the stepper motor which is shown here. The stepper
motor is a device, which response to a pulsed input, pulsed voltage input by carrying out one
angular step for every pulse received; this is the stepper motor which is shown.

The stepper motor, if it receives a train of pulses, it will execute a corresponding number of
angular steps by rotating its shaft output shaft, how much? It is written here, this stepper
motor rotates carries out one rotation or one evolution in 200 such angular steps, so that one
step is equal to 1 points 8 degree, so these pulses are coming out on the pulse generator and
they are ANDED with a signal, which is coming out from here, this is an OR gate. Now what
is this?

This is called a position down counter, it is a device which can contain inside a digital say
byte that means say a an 8 digit 8 bit or less or more, it can contain a binary number here
okay and as the name suggests, position down counter, the content inside for example,
1101011, the content inside can be decremented that means it can be reduced for every pulse
which is coming at this point which is called the clock input. So if a pulse arrives here, once
it goes inside it reduces the content by one, so that after one pulse comes in it will become
1101010, so this way it will go on reducing for each and every pulse which comes inside, so
ultimately it will become 0.
So when these are containing different bits, they are also input to an OR gate, the OR gate
output will become 0 only if all these are 0s, which means that the OR gate is acting as a sort
of detector for all these bits becoming 0s or the full content becoming 0 so that its output is
given a name end of count. If it becomes 0, we can be sure that the content inside is 0 okay.
So, once this becomes 0, this particular output becomes 0 and it stops further pulses from the
pulse generator to go out to come here and also reach the stepper motor controls.

So this is a way in which we can design or we can make this device work in such a way that
after a definite number of pulses have passed through this AND gate, this will be counted
down to 0 and further pulses will not be allowed through this AND gate and the stepper
motor will come to a stop. So we can plan it in this way that if I have a definite programmed
motion to be carried out, I will put a corresponding calculated value of a binary number here
after this gets counted down to the pulses which are coming out from the pulse generator,
further pulses will be stopped when this reaches end of count and the motor will be stopping
after carrying out those many angular steps of motion.

Those many angular steps of motion are converted by the gearbox to the smaller value and
the CNC table moves correspondingly and it will come to a stop when this is counted down
to 0. This is one way in which point-to-point controls can be made to work, let us see another
example.

(Refer Slide Time: 15:22)

So these things we have already discussed, I will just put in summary of these explanation,
position down counter as we discussed is a counter which contains a number inside in binary
and it can be counted down by pulses coming in at the clock input. End count is output of the
OR gate, when 0 it means that all the inputs to the OR gate they are individually 0. Pulse
generator is a device, which sends out pulses continuously at a different frequency

(Refer Slide Time: 16:05)

Gear box is basically in this case simply a speed reducing mechanism at a definite ratio okay.
Gear ratio when expressed, in this we will read it this way that output rpm by input rpm is
equal to gear ratio. The lead screw-nut mechanism which has been shown here converts
rotatory motion to straight-line motion at a definite ratio. What is this, this transfer function is
1 rotation of lead-screw produces lead amount of motion of the nut. What is lead equal to?
Lead equal to pitch into number of starts okay, we will have new numerical examples of this
so we will discuss it at that time. And stepper motor as we discussed is such a motor which
moves in discrete angular steps in response to voltage pulses as input.
(Refer Slide Time: 17:07)

We will take a quick look I am sorry my face is obstructing part of the figure, but hopefully
you will understand. So in this figure we see the depiction of another type of point-to-point
control, let us see 1st of all what is the prime mover. The prime mover is a DC motor, this DC
motor connected with a gearbox as previously is also connected to a lead screw okay, and this
is the lead screw. This lead screw nut combination produces linear motion of the table.

And since the DC motor cannot be controlled at a stepper motor to start and stop precisely at
definite point, start maybe yes but not stop at a definite point because it has inertia, we have
to have some sort of feedback device in order to find out the extent of motion the DC motor
executes, so this is a feedback device called an encoder. Whenever we are not sure of the
prime movers will be to stop at a definite location, we employ such feedback devices.

So in this point-to-point device, it is having a close loop, this loop is obtained from the
encoder through an LED that means light emitting device with a photoreceptor and a pulse
generator ultimately give us voltage pulses here corresponding to each and every hole present
on the encoder. When 1 hole is coming here, light is emitted from this side, received by the
photoreceptor and a corresponding pulse is generated. So these pulses are feedback pulses
which are incident on the clock input of the position down counter here.

So I put a certain number here, these numbers get down counted by these pulses coming from
the feedback and until and unless this number becomes 0 by this counting down, once again
the OR gate sense out a high value or value of 1, which keeps the analog voltage source on.
So the analog voltage source is kept on as long as this count is not 0 and this analog voltage
source feeds the DC motor, which rotates the gearbox, which rotates the lead screw and
which moves the table. What is this decoder and decelerator? When the DC motor is rotating,
it due to inertia it cannot be brought to a perfect stop while it is at its highest speed.

So when we have moved sufficiently close to the target, the decoder circuit through some
binary circuits senses that that it is certain distance away from the target and it reduces the
voltage output of analog voltage source through a circuit called a decoder and the DC motor
starts getting lower voltage and rotates at a lower rate. This way, decoder sequentially
reduces the voltage to the motor from the analog source and the motor decelerates and finally
comes to a halt at the required position, so this is an example of point-to-point controls with
closed loop control.

(Refer Slide Time: 21:14)

So in these two point-to-point systems as we have observed, there is no velocity control, the
position down counter is present in both because it is associated with position control and
there is internal feedback in one case, while there is external feedback in the second case.
(Refer Slide Time: 21:33)

Practice problem for our work next. The basic length unit of the following drive is 5 microns,
50 microns, 10 microns, none of the others. What is basic length unit? Basic length unit is the
smallest distance a system can step through accurately or it can read accurately, okay. In this
case, the stepper motor receives pulses and corresponding to each pulse it will carry out the
definite amount of motion, so for this system the basic length unit is that small amount of
movement which the stepper motor will execute for 1 pulse voltage given to it.

Since 1 pulse results in 1 step of motion, let us find out how much this 1 step of motion will
will move the table. So if 200 steps are there in 1 revolution, the gearbox receives 1 full
revolution and output quarter of a revolution. So one full revolution of the gearbox will result
from 4 revolutions of stepper motor shaft, so 4 revolutions of the stepper motor shaft will be
800 steps, 800 steps are rotating the lead-screw ones. And 800 steps therefore will give rise to
4 millimeters of movement assuming that lead screw has a single start.

So 4 millimeters of movement obtained from 800 steps therefore, 1 step will give rise to 4
millimeter divided by 800 equal to 5 microns of movement, so the answer is 5 microns. I will
just repeat, 4 millimeters of movement obtained from 800 steps therefore, once step gives rise
to 4 millimeters divided by 800 equal to 0 points 005 millimeters equal to 5 microns of
movement. Let us now have a look at an example of continuous control. We have discussed
point-to-point control, two examples of it and now we are going to have a look at continuous
control. I am sorry, my figure is again obstructing part of the figure is in my photo; let us see
we can get that removed.
(Refer Slide Time: 24:43)

Coming back to our discussion, so here this represents the circuit for one axis of movement.
If you remember, we had discussed that continuous control will always have an interpolator,
so instead of a pulse generator we are having interpolator pulses coming in and these
interpolator pulses are again sending pulses straight to the to the control loop and they are
also sending pulses to the position down counter, we are conversant with the position down
counter, it will contain some number inside which ultimately will be counted down to 0 and
at that point it will stop further pulses from going through.

So that means the interpolator pulses which are coming in they are 1st getting counted and
they are also passing through and reaching something called UDC or Up-down counter.
Inside Up-down counter we have a content, which is up counted by these pulses coming in
and they are also down counted by pulses which are coming from the encoder, it is partly
obstructed but hopefully I think you can understand these encoder pulses which are coming
back as a feedback, they are down counting the content of the Up-down counter.

So the Up-down counter is ultimately having a balance of pulses, which are 1st of all up
counted by the pulses coming in from the encoder and down counted by the pulses coming
from the sorry from the interpolator they are up counted and from the encoder they are down
counted, it is having a balance of pulses. So these this content is then converted to an analog
voltage, which is ultimately given to the motor through some circuit, so if we look at it this
way that how is it different from point-to-point control.
Unlike the point-to-point control machine, the motor is now going to have a voltage which
varies and this varying voltage will produce different velocities of the motor and
corresponding to these different velocities the motor is going to carry out different rates of
motion, that cutter feed is now going to change and therefore, cuter axis velocity ratio are
now going to change, so the cutter can take up different path directions and it can move at
different rates of motion. Other parts like gearbox, table, et cetera, they are just the same as
before but here there is another additional component that means from the motor there is an
inner feedback loop shown by T or the techno-generator.

This tacho generator gives an inner feedback for control of velocity, it makes the time
constant of the system much less that means if the system is having a sluggishness response,
it makes this response faster or bigger, so we have two feedback loops in this typical
continuous control loop, one is for feedback of velocity and is another is for feedback of
position coming from the encoder.

(Refer Slide Time: 28:28)

So discussion on the a continuous control system, we have already discussed and therefore I
am not going to repeat it, voltage pulse rate coming from the (inter) interpolator can be varied
so that velocity can be changed for the motor, et cetera, these things we have already gone
through, thank you.